Last load from Oregon

Two weeks ago Disney put up Halloween decorations at Magic Kingdom, and after a two year hiatus, started holding Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Parties. 

Last week, I flew to Bend to bring the last of our stuff to Florida. Bryan was done working in Bend for the summer, so he drove back with me and we towed his car.

This was my 21st time driving across the country. We drove east through Idaho, Wyoming, and Nebraska, then turned south when we hit Missouri. We didn’t stop much, although we did check out a new Buc-ee’s in Leeds, Alabama.

Food and Wine

Last month the Food and Wine Festival started at Epcot. Like last year, some booths won’t open until fall, and they don’t have all the activities they had before the pandemic. 

Also last month, Jenn went to Magic Kingdom to celebrate the release of her first novel and to be there while Susan worked her last shift in merchandise. A week later she started working for Disney Cruise Line.

This weekend Jennifer flew back to Oregon so she and Bryan could attend the wedding of a friend from University of Portland. It was held on a ranch outside Redmond.

Backstage Magic

This month I was able to attend three behind the scenes tours of attractions at Disney World. First I did a backstage tour of the Tower of Terror at Hollywood Studios, with some Friendship Boat Captains.

 

The next week I learned how Rock N Roller Coaster at Hollywood Studios works. I again toured the ride with some Friendship Boat Captains. 

Last night Susan and I got to do a behind the scenes tour of Ratatouille in Epcot.

Denver

We just got back from a trip to Denver, where Susan attended a convention. It was held at the Sheraton Downtown, where we stayed. Because of our Marriott status we got upgraded to a nicer room and had access to the executive lounge.

While she was doing that, I spend sometime exploring the Capitol and grounds. The Capitol building was impressive and the grounds were nice, although the number of vagrants hanging out on the streets near the Capitol was a little disconcerting. I also visited the History Colorado Center, which had some nice displays.

Before we left town, Susan and I made a trek down Colfax Avenue to the nearest Voodoo Doughnut.

We also walked around downtown a bit, including by the convention center.

July at WDW

 

Last week some friends from Oregon came out to visit, and we spent a few days in the parks with them. On Tuesday we went to Animal Kingdom, and on Wednesday we visited the Studios. Disney had erected a giant Baymax in front of the Studios to publicize the new series on Disney+.

We also invited them to enjoy the Independence Day fireworks at our subdivision. Although it was nowhere near as good as one of Disney's shows, it wasn't bad. 

Thursday they came to visit me at work at Epcot, and were able to snag a boarding pass for the new Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster, which they really enjoyed.

Yesterday they went to Typhoon Lagoon with Jenn, then we all had dinner at Trail's End at Fort Wilderness before they headed out. After the pandemic, Trail's End had switched to family-style dinning instead of a buffet. The food was similar to the Hoop De Doo, since they share a kitchen. 

Cast Special Events

Two weeks ago I got to do a backstage tour of Dinosaur! in Animal Kingdom with some Friendship Boat captains. We learned about some of the theme details in the Dinoland area, and after it closed for the night, got to ride with the lights on. After that we were able to walk the track and see the animatronics up close.

Last week we attended a special cast showing of the Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue at Fort Wilderness before it reopened to regular guests. It's a fun show and the food was good.

Last night Susan and I went to a special cast night at the Magic Kingdom. We rode a couple of rides and enjoyed free snacks, as well as visiting with fellow cast members. 

The canopy for Tron looked cool lit up at night.

Another Trip from Oregon to Florida Part 4

Monday morning we stopped at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park before driving into Tennessee. The Kentucky visitor center was fairly small, but had a couple of films that were shown on a large TV upstairs that we watched. It also appeared to have a fairly nice campground and trail system on the Tennessee side, but we didn't really have time for hiking. The ranger also said the viewpoint is great, but we didn't want to try driving up to that with a trailer attached.

 

We headed down to Pigeon Forge, and stopped for lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe, my 30th. After lunch we drove through town checking out the tourist attractions. I'm hoping to come back sometime soon to check out Dollywood.

 

We continued east through Great Smoky Mountains National Park, stopping briefly at two of the visitor centers, then drove down into Georgia, staying the night south of Atlanta.  

After another stop at the Buc-ee's in Warner Robbins, we crossed into Florida and made our way home.